This invention relates to a battery fixing (securing) structure of a vehicle for fixing a plurality of batteries on the vehicle.
Recently, environment-conscious electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles have been developed. Such vehicles generally include a power unit connected with a motor along with a transmission, and a plurality of battery units for storing electric power for travel. The motor is driven by the power generated from the battery units to reduce exhaust, which improves the environment.
Referring to FIGS. 22-24, when disposing a battery unit 202 in a vehicle, a plurality (e.g., three) of batteries (a first battery 204-1, a second battery 204-2, and a third battery 204-3) are positioned on a battery tray 206.
Since the batteries 204-1, 204-2, 204-3 have different heights (a first height H1, a second height H2, and a third height H3), the batteries 204 are provided with a cushion material 208 which is a buffer material extending over upper parts of the batteries 204-1, 204-2, 204-3, and a band 210 which is a fixing member is disposed over the cushion material 208.
Both ends of the band 210 are then fixed to tray flanges 214-1, 214-2 of the battery tray 206 with clamping bolts 212-1, 212-2 so that the batteries 204-1, 204-2, 204-3 are clamped and fixed by the band 210.
The different heights of the batteries 204-1, 204-2, 204-3 are then complemented by the bent cushion material 208.
Such vehicles with a plurality of batteries are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1998-129276 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1998-74499. A vehicle with a plurality of batteries disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1998-129276 includes: a pressing member for pressing the upper part of a battery; a combination stopper fixed to a battery tray in the direction perpendicular to the pressing member; a relay member to combine the combination stopper with the pressing member; and upper and side restricting board portions in the pressing member each opposed to upper and side surfaces so that each battery is arranged closer together in a row with shorter intervals between batteries. A vehicle with a plurality of batteries disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1998-74499 has a form-variable member which can transform and adhere to the top surfaces of each battery on the battery tray, the form-variable member being attached to a mounting surface for installing a battery tray, thereby enabling a simpler structure for easier manufacture.
Referring to FIGS. 22-24, a conventional vehicle with a plurality of batteries (a first battery 204-1, a second battery 204-2, and a third battery 204-3) is designed to overcome varieties of heights H1, H2, H3 of respective batteries 204-1, 204-2, 204-3 by clamping with clamping bolts 212-1, 212-2 while forming spaces S1, S2.
However, when batteries 204-1, 204-2, 204-3 are arranged in such a manner, communication portions 216-1, 216-2 at both ends of the band 210 are transformed or deformed (See FIG. 22) such that a pressing section 218 of the band 210 can not secure the middle of the second battery 204-2.
The clamping bolts 212-1, 212-2 with such a transformed band 210 can not produce the requisite axial-force, thereby loosening the band 210 and clamping bolts 212-1 and 212-2 which allows movement of the second battery 204-2 and further can not secure the whole battery unit.
In order to obviate or at least minimize the above inconveniences, the present invention provides a battery fixing structure of a vehicle having a battery tray mounted therein with a plurality, and in the illustrated embodiment at least three, of batteries disposed on said battery tray, comprising: an upwardly projecting bead section at the bottom of said battery tray between adjacent batteries; a fixing member with an interposed buffer material at the top of said batteries; and a U-shaped bolt engaging with said bead section such that both ends of said fixing member and a portion of said fixing member between said batteries are fixed to said battery tray; wherein a portion of said U-shaped bolt engaging said bead section is disposed within a groove of said bead section.
The present invention provides such a structure wherein the portion of said U-shaped bolt engaging with said bead section is disposed within a groove of said bead section projecting upwardly from the bottom of the battery tray, and said fixing member portion between said batteries is fixed to said battery tray. Accordingly, a shaft portion of the U-shaped bolt engaging with the bead section does not protrude from the battery tray bottom. In addition, loosening of the fixing member does not occur, thereby preventing movement of the middle battery on the battery tray.